Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do

In September of 2016, Eberhardt worked with a group of experts to conduct training for California police departments on implicit bias. As she readied for her presentation, the group of trainers discussed the latest in a long line of police killings. The story of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed Black man who was shot to death by Officer Betty Shelby, serves as the backbone of this chapter. Tiffany Crutcher, Terrance’s twin sister, spoke with Eberhardt about her brother and the experiences of the family and the community following his death.

Eberhardt writes about the many police-inflicted deaths in 2016: “nearly a thousand people were killed in the United States by police officers” (49). Eberhardt cites several cases of wrongful shootings by police officers targeting people of color, including Philando Castile, who was killed in a traffic stop, and 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot for playing with a toy gun. In both these cases, the police officers were acquitted.

The killings—along with statistics revealing that Black people are more frequently subjected to traffic stops and that police are more likely to use force on them—left parents and communities struggling with too many questions and not enough answers.